Enacted parts

ARTICLE 221-1
The wilful causing of the death of another person is murder. It is punished with thirty years' criminal imprisonment.
ARTICLE 221-2
Murder which precedes, accompanies or follows another felony is punished by criminal imprisonment for life.
Murder which is intended either to prepare or to facilitate a misdemeanour, or to assist an escape or to ensure the
impunity of the misdemeanant or an accomplice to a misdemeanour is punished by criminal imprisonment for life.
The first two paragraphs of article 132-23 governing the safety period are applicable to the offences under the
present article.
ARTICLE 221-3
Murder committed with premeditation is assassination. Assassination is punished by a criminal imprisonment for life.
The first two paragraphs of article 132-23 governing the safety period apply to the offence under the present article.
Nevertheless, where the victim is a minor who is under fifteen years of age and the assassination is preceded by or
accompanied by rape, torture or acts of barbarity, the Cour d'assises may by a special decision either increase the
safety period to thirty years, or, where it imposes criminal imprisonment for life, decide that none of the measures
enumerated under Article 132-23 shall be granted to the convicted person. Where the sentence is commuted, and
unless the decree of pardon otherwise provides, the safety period is equal to the length of the sentence resulting from
the pardon.
ARTICLE 221-4
(Act no. 94-89 of 1 February 1994 Article 6 Official Journal of 2 February 1994 into force 1 March 1994) 
(Act no. 96-647 of 22 July 1996 Article 13 Official Journal of 23 July 1996)
(Act no. 99-505 of 18 June 1999 Article 14 Official Journal of 19 June 1999)
Updated 12/10/2005 - Page 29/132

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PENAL CODE
(Act no. 2003-88 of 3 February 2003 Article 2 Official Journal of 4 February 2003)
(Act no. 2003-239 of 18 March 2003 Article 47 II, Article 60 I, II Official Journal of 19 March 2003 Correction JORF 5
June 2003)
(Act no. 2004-204 of 9 March 2004 article 6 I Official Journal of 10 March 2004)
Murder is punished by criminal imprisonment for life where it is committed:
1° against a minor under fifteen years of age;
2° against a natural or legitimate ascendant or the adoptive father or mother;
3° against a person whose particular vulnerability, due to age, sickness or infirmity, or to any physical or
psychological disability or to pregnancy, is apparent or known to the perpetrator;
4° against a judge or prosecutor, a juror, an advocate, a legal professional officer or a public officer, a member of
the gendarmerie, a civil servant of the national police, customs, the penitentiary administration or against any other
person holding public authority or discharging a public service mission, a fireman (whether professional or volunteer),
the accredited warden of a building or group of buildings or an agent carrying out on behalf of the tenant the duty of
caring for or watching an inhabited building in pursuance of article L. 127.1 of the Code of Construction and Habitation,
in the exercise or on account of his functions or mission, when the capacity of the victim is known or apparent to the
perpetrator;
4°bis against the spouse, the ascendants and direct descendants of the persons mentioned in 4° or against any
other person who habitually resides in their home, because of the duties carried out by these persons;
4°ter against a person employed by a public transport network or any other person carrying out a public service
mission or against a health professional in the exercise of his duties, where the status of the victim is apparent or known
to the perpetrator;
5° against a witness, a victim or civil party, either to prevent him from denouncing the action, filing a complaint or
making a statement before a court, or because of his report, complaint or statement;
6° because of the victim's actual or supposed membership or non-membership of a given ethnic group, nation, race
or religion;
7° because of the sexual orientation of the victim;
8° by several people acting as an organised gang.
The first two paragraphs of article 132-23 governing the safety period are applicable to the offences set out under
the present article. Nevertheless, where the victim is a minor of fifteen years of age and the murder is preceded by or
accompanied by rape, torture or acts of barbarity, the Cour d'assises may by a special decision either increase the
safety period to thirty years, or, where it orders life imprisonment, decide that none of the measures enumerated under
article 132-23 shall be granted to the convicted person; where the penalty is commuted, and unless the decree of
pardon otherwise provides, the safety period is then equal to the length of the sentence resulting from the pardon.